Float assembly for a house

ABSTRACT

A float includes a container, at least one groove formed in an outer surface of the container, and at least one vent in the container. A plurality of the floats can be connected to a support platform via an elongated connection member. The connected floats and support platform can support an inhabitable structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/058,175, filed Oct. 1, 2014, the entirety of which ishereby incorporated by reference. This application claims priority toand is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/871,034, now U.S. Publication No. 2016/0096596, filed Sep. 30, 2015,the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Americans live in homes of all types. More and more people are enjoyingthe benefits of living in houseboats. The 2000 census found some 200,000houseboats located in the United States. Because of the anticipatedincrease in population it is expected that more and more people willlive in houseboats. Sometimes these will be their primary home, andother times these will be used as a second home for recreation andrelaxation.

The increasing demand for floating residential or other inhabitedstructures, such as houseboats, leaves buyers wanting more. Featuresusually included in land based homes are becoming desirable inhouseboats. So, for instance, toilets, showers, sinks, dishwashers,clothes dryers, clothes washers, coffee makers, and trash compactors area few of the amenities that people want in their houseboats.

One problem with today's houseboats is that they do not provide an easymeans for handling the unwanted items in the home or space for storingthe accessories that are part of the houseboat. Fecal waste and urine,for instance, are often collected in a separate container and vacuumedor siphoned off from that container when a houseboat reaches dock. Thewaste container serves no other purpose and takes up valuable space inthe houseboat's design. Another problem is that construction of thefloats for floating structures, a houseboat for example, is limited bysize or shape of the houseboat if done as one piece construction.

There is a need in the industry for a float apparatus that is easilyincorporated into a variety of houseboat designs, is multifunctional,and does not require new space but instead uses space that is alreadyreserved for another purpose. A further need is for the ability toconstruct floats that are of various sizes and shapes to suit the needsof the houseboat and its owner.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the invention provides a float including a container,at least one groove formed in an outer surface of the container, and atleast one vent in the container.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a float assembly includinga plurality of floats and a support assembly having an elongatedconnection member and a support platform. The elongated connectionmember is fixedly coupled to the support platform and to the pluralityof floats.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a float system including aplurality of floats and a support assembly having an elongatedconnection member and a support platform. The elongated connectionmember is coupled to the support platform and to the plurality offloats. The float system further includes an inhabitable structurecoupled to the support platform.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the inventionwith joined floats.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the inventionshowing a float system including a structure supported on a floatassembly.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the inventionillustrating a float assembly.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the fifth embodiment of the inventionillustrating a plurality of floats coupled to an elongated connectionmember, and including an enlarged view of a through hole.

FIG. 7 shows a top perspective view of the fifth embodiment of theinvention illustrating a plurality of floats coupled to an elongatedconnection member.

FIG. 8 shows a top view of the fifth embodiment of the inventionillustrating a support assembly coupled to a plurality of floats.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention, which includes afloat 48 that has a hollow container 1, a panel 2 that may be used forinstrumentation, and a tube 5 passing through the container 1 such thata portion 3 of the tube 5 is within the container 1. The tube 5 permitsboth the introduction and removal of material, e.g., human waste, into astorage cavity of the container 1. The container 1 has a plurality offasteners 4 for assembly purposes.

FIG. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention, which includesa float assembly 80 that includes a plurality of hollow containers 11.The plurality of containers 11 are joined together by an elongatedconnection member such as a stringer 12. The stringer 12 is fastened tothe containers 11 by a plurality of bolts 15, or alternatively by otherfasteners such as screws, adhesive, nails, or rivets. At least onecontainer 11 of the plurality of containers 11 has a panel 14 forinstrumentation. The instrumentation of the panel 14 may includeelectronics or analog meters that provide physical indications (e.g.,temperature, water level, pressure, etc.) or that control other partsintegral to the float assembly 80. In one embodiment, theinstrumentation of the panel 14 includes a liquid level gauge (notillustrated). A tube 16 passes through a sealable port of one of thecontainers 11 such that an inside portion 13 of the tube 16 is withinthe container 11 for handling material. One of the containers 11 isshown to be without a tube 16 and instead has a sealable port that issealed off with a cap 17 that in some embodiments may be air-tight orcomposed of a breathable material.

FIG. 3 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention, which includes awater-tight float 48. The float 48 includes a container 21 having a topportion 30 and a bottom portion 31. The float 48 is shaped so as toinclude surfaces configured to support a structure on the top portion 30and to further support a stringer 12, as described in greater detailbelow.

FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the invention, which includesan inhabitable structure 40 (e.g., a house 40). The house 40 isattached, supported, and configured to be kept afloat by a plurality ofattached floats 48. The floats 48 are attached to one another via anelongated metal stringer 12. The metal stringer 12 is coupled to thesubstantially flat side surface 76 of the attached floats 48, asdescribed in greater detail below. The house 40 sits atop the topportion 30 of the attached floats 48 and is able to be held afloat.

As shown in FIG. 3, the float 48 includes the container 21 having thetop portion 30 and the bottom portion 31, at least one vent 58, and atleast one connector 60. The container 21 is preferably hollow and mayprovide a storage cavity as described above. In one embodiment, thecontainer 21 may be made from a polyethylene material in a moldingprocess. The polyethylene material provides a desirable weight tobuoyancy ratio for the float 48 and expands in higher temperatures andcontracts in lower temperatures. In other exemplary embodiments, thecontainer 21 may be formed from various types of polymers or metalalloys. The container 21 may have varying lengths. In a particularembodiment, the container 21 has a longitudinal length of approximatelyfive feet, which allows for the efficient transportation and assembly ofthe float 48. The five-foot longitudinal length provides a desired smallsize and still allows for the desired weight-to-buoyancy ratio of thefloat 48. The container 21 is formed to have a wall thicknesssubstantial enough to support the weight of the structure 40 on the topportion 30 when the float 48 is in a body of water or on land. Forexample, when the container 21 is formed from the polyethylene material,the wall thickness of the container 21 can be between 0.125 inches and 1inch, and may be 0.5 inches in a preferred embodiment. The wallthickness may vary further in other embodiments, particularly when thefloat 48 is formed from, other materials.

The bottom portion 31 of the container 21 is generally cylindrical inshape. The bottom portion 31 includes opposite ends 64 havingprotrusions 66 that are generally circular and that extend axially fromthe longitudinal ends 64 of the bottom portion 31. The protrusions 66are configured to provide stiffness to the float 48 when the float 48 isnot in a body of water. A plurality of grooves 70 are formedcircumferentially into an outer surface 68 of the bottom portion 31 toprovide rigidity to the float 48. For example, each of the plurality ofgrooves 70 can have a depth and width of 0.625 and 2 inches,respectively, and may be spaced from one another by a distance of 15.5inches to provide the necessary rigidity to the float 48 to support thestructure 40.

The top portion 30 of the container 21 has a flat, top surface 32 andflat, opposing side surfaces 76 that are oriented perpendicularly to thetop surface 32. A support assembly 82 couples to the top surface 32 andthe side surfaces 76, as shown in FIG. 5. The support assembly 82 inturn supports the structure 40, as explained in greater detail below.The top portion 30 of the float 48 also includes a plurality of grooves72 and at least one connector 60 for coupling to the stringer 12, asshown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each connector 60 is molded into the container21 during the molding process of the container 21 such that theconnectors 60 are flush with the side surface 76 of the top portion 30.In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5, there is one connector 60between each groove 72 and each connector 60 is a threaded insert 60that has internal threads (not illustrated) for threadably coupling to afastener 62, as explained in greater detail below. In other embodiments,each connector 60 may be configured to couple the float 48 to thestringer 12 via nails, rivets, adhesives, or various other connectiveelements. The plurality of grooves 70 in the top portion 30 arecontinuous along the top surface 32 and the side surfaces 76 to providerigidity to the float 48 as described above.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the float 48 may include at least one vent 58formed into the flat top surface 32 of the top portion 30. This allowsfor the vent 58 to be located above the waterline when the float 48 isin a body of water. In other embodiments, the vent 58 may be located onother surfaces of the float 48. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3,the vent 58 is air permeable but not water permeable, such that the vent58 prevents moisture from entering the interior of the float 48. The airpermeability allows the air pressure to equalize between the interior ofthe float 48 and the atmosphere, which is important during significantchanges in temperature or barometric pressure to prevent substantialexpansion or contraction of the volume of the float 48. In theillustrated embodiment, a hole (not illustrated) is cut or drilled intothe top portion 30 of the container 21 to provide an opening to thehollow interior of the container 21. Threads may be cut or otherwiseformed in the hole so a vent insert 58 may be screwed into the hole. Thevent insert 58 may be plugged, for example, with a Gore-Tex material,which is air permeable and not water permeable. Other embodiments of thefloat 48 may include various numbers of vents 58 and/or various shapesand sizes of the vent 58, whereby those other embodiments still allowfor pressure equalization between the interior of the float 48 and theatmosphere via the vent(s) 58.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a float assembly 80 including a plurality offloats 48 and a support assembly 82. The support assembly 82 includestwo stringers 12 (only one stringer 12 shown on each of FIGS. 4 and 5)and a support platform 88. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6, eachstringer 12 is a rigid beam that couples the support assembly 82 to theplurality of floats 48. As shown in FIG. 6, the stringer 12 includes aplurality of laterally spaced through holes 92. The plurality of throughholes 92 each receive a corresponding fastener 62 that extends into, andis threadably coupled to, a respective connector 60 of one of theplurality of floats 48 such that the stringer 12 is coupled to each ofthe plurality of floats 48. The through holes 92 may be circular,rectangular, or generally oval shaped, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Whenoval shaped, the fasteners 62 are configured to slide laterally withinthe through holes 92, thereby reducing the risk of disengagement betweena respective float 48 and stringer 12, as explained in greater detailbelow. As best shown in FIG. 7, the two stringers 12 are secured torespective side surfaces 76 of each float 48 and separated by the topsurface 32. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5, a top surface 94 ofthe stringer 12 is substantially co-planar with the flat top surface 32of each of the floats 48, when the stringers 12 are coupled to theplurality of floats 48.

The support platform 88 includes a plurality of latitudinal beams 100and a plurality of longitudinal beams 102, which extend perpendicularlyto the latitudinal beams 100. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the latitudinalbeams 100 extend perpendicular to the stringers 12 and the longitudinalbeams 102 extend parallel to the stringers 12. The latitudinal beams 100and the longitudinal beams 102 may be a rigid material (e.g., stainlesssteel). A first set of fasteners 104 (e.g., bolts, screws, rivets, etc.)fixedly couples the longitudinal beams 102 to each of the latitudinalbeams 100. A second set of fasteners 106 (e.g., bolts, screws, rivets,etc.) fixedly couples the latitudinal beams 100 to each of the stringers12, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8. A flat upper surface 108 of the pluralityof longitudinal beams 102 provides a support surface for the structure40. In other embodiments, the longitudinal beams 102 may be welded tothe latitudinal beams 100, and the latitudinal beams 100 may welded tothe stringers 12. In yet other embodiments, the latitudinal beams 100may be coupled to the stringers 12 through the longitudinal beams 102such that an upper surface of the plurality of latitudinal beams 100provides the support surface for the structure 40.

As assembled, the float assembly 80 includes the plurality of floats 48,the support assembly 82 having stringers 12 and the support platform 88,and the structure 40 (e.g., the house). The plurality of floats 48 arecoupled to one another via the stringers 12. Specifically, fasteners 62extend through respective through holes 92 of the stringers 12 and arethreadably coupled to a respective connector 60 of one of the pluralityof floats 48. The oval shape of the through holes 92 allows for lateralmovement of the floats 48 with respect to the stringers 12, therebydecreasing the strain on the connectors 60 and fasteners 62 and therebydecreasing the likelihood of the floats 48 from being disconnected fromthe stringers 12. The structure 40 is coupled to the flat upper surface108 defined by the longitudinal beams 102 such that the support platform88 supports the structure 40, both when the float assembly 80 is in oroutside a body of water, such as during the transportation of the floatassembly 80 on land. The support platform 88 can be coupled to the house40 by various means, such as by fasteners (e.g., bolts, screws, rivets,etc.), adhesives, welding, etc.

The foregoing detailed description of certain exemplary embodiments hasbeen provided for the purpose of explaining the general principles andpractical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art tounderstand the disclosure. This description is not necessarily intendedto be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the exemplary embodimentsdisclosed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A float comprising: a container; at least onegroove formed in an outer surface of the container; and at least onevent in the container.
 2. The float of claim 1, wherein the containerincludes a top portion with a generally flat top surface and a bottomportion.
 3. The float of claim 2, wherein the at least one vent is inthe flat top surface.
 4. The float of claim 1, wherein the containerincludes a top portion and a bottom portion, and wherein the bottomportion includes two longitudinal ends with each end having a protrusionextending axially therefrom.
 5. The float of claim 1, wherein thecontainer includes a top portion and a bottom portion, and wherein theat least one groove is formed around the circumference of the bottomportion.
 6. The float of claim 1, wherein the container includes a topportion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion is adjoining thebottom portion such that the top and bottom portions are continuous,wherein the top portion has a generally flat top surface and the bottomportion has a generally cylindrical shape, and wherein the at least onevent is in the flat top surface.
 7. The float of claim 1, wherein the atleast one vent is air permeable, but not water permeable.
 8. The floatof claim 1, wherein the float further comprises at least one tubeassembly that extends through an aperture in the container, and whereinat least a portion of the at least one tube assembly extends into aninterior of the container.
 9. A float assembly comprising: a pluralityof floats; and a support assembly including an elongated connectionmember and a support platform, wherein the elongated connection memberis fixedly coupled to the support platform and to the plurality offloats.
 10. The float assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the pluralityof floats includes a connector that is coupled to a fastener that areeach respectively received through a corresponding through hole formedin the elongated connection member, and wherein the through holes permitthe received fastener to slide laterally within the through hole. 11.The float assembly of claim 9, wherein the support platform includes aplurality of crossbeams configured to support an inhabitable structure.12. The float assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality offloats has a generally flat top surface for supporting the supportassembly.
 13. A float system comprising: a plurality of floats; asupport assembly including an elongated connection member and a supportplatform, wherein the elongated connection member is coupled to thesupport platform and to the plurality of floats; and an inhabitablestructure coupled to the support platform.
 14. The float system of claim13, wherein each of the plurality of floats includes a connector that iscoupled to a fastener that are each respectively received through acorresponding through hole formed in the elongated connection member,and wherein the through holes permit the received fastener to slidelaterally within the through hole.
 15. The float system of claim 13,wherein the support platform includes a first and second set ofcrossbeams, wherein the first set of crossbeams is oriented generallyperpendicularly to the elongated connection member, and wherein thesecond set of crossbeams is oriented generally parallel to the elongatedconnection member.